Drake Reflects On Bringing Pressa & Smoke Dawg On Tour

Drake shows love to Toronto's talent in his latest Instagram post.

BYAron A.
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Toronto's got it on lock right now. Outside of the immediate OVO and XO circles, there's been a flurry of rappers who've been breaking out and making noise in America and across the globe. Some of the credit is due to The Weeknd and Drake but the talent itself is undeniable.

Drake took to Instagram today where he paid his respect to the city's talent with a throwback photo including Pressa and the late Smoke Dawg. "I've taken some special kids on road and seen a different Toronto," wrote Drake on his Instagram Story. The picture appears to be from the Boy Meets World tour in the UK where Pressa and Smoke Dawg served as opening acts. Drake later shared the photo to his IG feed where he asked his friends from Toronto to show some love to the city. 

Drake Reflects On Bringing Pressa & Smoke Dawg On Tour

Pressa, who has been making waves with singles like "Attachments," later shared the post to his Story and expressed his gratitude to Drake for bringing him on the road and giving him an opportunity of a lifetime. 

Drake Reflects On Bringing Pressa & Smoke Dawg On Tour

Smoke Dawg was one of the most promising young stars to emerge from Toronto before his untimely passing in 2018. Singles like "Trap House" and his appearance on Mo-G's "Still" helped him breakout into international markets including the UK where he collaborated alongside artists like Giggs and Skepta

Read our Rise & Grind interview with Pressa here

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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.